Ten years ago, our teachers and staff at Al- Huda School noticed something others hadn’t yet named: the traditional approach to teaching Islamic Studies needed to change. Students were disengaged in lessons, mental and emotional challenges were rising, and a disconnect had formed between their identity as Muslims and their connection to the faith itself. While knowledge was increasing, the application of that knowledge was slipping away.
We noticed growing issues in the Muslim youth in our classrooms and across society in general. But not many people were talking about addressing the mental and emotional health and wellness of students back then. We needed to figure out a solution to get the hearts of our youth closer to Allah and to their deen.”
— Sister Samira Hingoro
Motivated by the need to help students not just learn about Islam, but to live it with purpose and emotional resilience, our team of educators at Al-Huda School began developing a new kind of Islamic Studies curriculum. At its heart was the belief that students need to first build a personal relationship with Allah — and that this love becomes the foundation for how they live their faith.
Over the last few years, each textbook was developed under the guidance of Jay McTighe, co-founder of the “Understanding by Design” framework. It is a student- centered approach that helps the students better understand topics, rather than just memorizing facts. We tested out the curriculum in our own classrooms, piloted the books on our students, and built on the feedback we received. Alhamdulillah, we now have a full high school Islamic Studies curriculum consisting of eight textbooks, with more underway.
The curriculum, textbooks, and the online teacher’s resources are produced and developed through Dar- us-Salaam’s publishing arm, FAITH Publications — and they recently drew a lot of attention during the annual Global Association of Islamic Schools (GAIS) conference in Sri Lanka.
Since 2021, Islamic educators, leaders, and change- makers around the world have been joining forces and meeting at the annual GAIS conference for a transformative experience of purpose-driven learning, meaningful collaboration, and collective revival in Islamic education.
Dar-us-Salaam sent representatives Imam Safi Khan, Sr. Samira Hingoro, Br. Haroon Baqai, Sr. Sajeela Yaqub, and Br. Omar Smith to the GAIS 2025 conference in Sri Lanka on behalf of FAITH Publications.
This year’s theme was “Tajdeed” (renewal), focusing on new and innovative approaches to teaching Islamic Studies in the classroom — something our team at FAITH had already been doing with its curriculum. I had the opportunity to sit down with Sr. Samira Hingoro to learn more about this trip and what this breakthrough opportunity means for FAITH Publications.
Take Me to the Beginning How Did Faith End Up Being a Presenter and Sponsor at the GAIS Conference
“We had a meeting in late 2024 with one of the prominent national Muslim Educators, Dr. Leila Shatara, to discuss an Islamic Studies curriculum she was developing for her school. At the end of the meeting, she told us that she had read all of FAITH’s books. She felt the books needed global exposure and recommended us to consider attending the GAIS conference
“A few months later, we submitted the proposal to conduct a workshop on how to develop an impactful Islamic studies curriculum using the ‘Understanding by Design’ framework that we use in our textbooks. Alhumdulillah our proposal was accepted. In October FAITH Publications team, led by our presenters Dr. Haroon Baqai and Br. Safi Khan, went to Sri Lanka.
Promoting Faith Publications to a Global Audience
In addition to a workshop, we also had a booth to showcase our textbooks and online teacher’s resource area. The response was overwhelming, Subhanallah. The GAIS conference brought together 350 academics, researchers, teachers, and leaders in Islamic education from around the world. What drew people to our booth wasn’t just the marketing, it was our curriculum’s focus on student’s mental and emotional health and wellness. Our curriculum resonated so well because it aligned perfectly with the conference’s theme of “Tajdeed,” and it echoed the academic research presented throughout the event. The sentiment was clear: a new approach to teaching Islam was required in order to meet the rising mental and emotional needs of today’s Muslim youth.
“It turned out that what we thought was a Western phenomenon — the detachment from the deen and the mention, emotional, and spiritual challenges many Muslim youth face here in America — was not just a local problem: it was a global issue. Social media had turned the world into a global village, and now students all over the world were facing the same collective challenges, despite the physical distance. Across continents, Islamic educators shared similar concerns. This revelation surprised us, but it meant that our curriculum offered a solution to all these global Islamic educators.
“One thing became abundantly clear: what the world had just started to realize about Islamic education, FAITH Publications had already put into practice ten years ago. Needless to say, our booth was packed all four days of the conference, and we ran out of books. One educator who bought one of our textbooks came back the next day and told us that he had spent all night reading the entire textbook and couldn’t put it down. He had tears in his eyes when he learned about our work.”
The Faith Publications Presentation at GAIS
“Despite parallel sessions, our workshop was packed, Subhanallah. [Imam] Safi opened with a reflection on the vision of FAITH Publications and its unique approach to teaching Islamic studies, including an interactive activity exploring the difference between a self-centered student versus an Allah-centered one — the transformation our curriculum is designed to nurture. Brother Haroon followed with an overview of our curriculum development process, focusing on the “Understanding by Design” framework we used under the guidance of its cofounder Jay McTighe.
“The response to our presentation was very positive. Alhamdulillah educators seemed excited by our approach, our textbooks and our online teacher’s resources.”
Are Any of the GAIS Offers, Like Printing or Distribution, Moving Forward?
“Alhamdulillah we have been contacted by some of the participants of the conference. We also had meetings and presentations with leaders and administrators of these international schools. This is an ongoing process that will take time. This is just the beginning, in shaa Allah.”
What’s Next for Faith? Will the Curriculum be Adopted Worldwide?
“FAITH’s curriculum is already being used by full- time Islamic schools, masajid, youth halaqahs, and in weekend schools in the United States, as well as internationally. It has just begun to get exposure. We are grateful for the opportunity to help our youth develop a connection with Allah globally. It is our hope that through our efforts, Muslim youth will build their relationship with Allah and know how to navigate the challenges of the 21st century.
“Attending the GAIS conference gave us even more confidence that the FAITH Islamic Studies curriculum is on the right track – and it gives our community a lot of hope that Allah has a lot in store for Dar-us- Salaam and FAITH Publications in the coming years, in shaa Allah.” FAITH Publications ads were playing on the banners by the stage as they were one of the GAIS conference sponsors!
